Injured forward Jeff Skinner again was missing Monday as the Canes practiced at PNC Arena.

Canes coach Kirk Muller said Skinner was getting a second medical opinion on what has been deemed an "upper-body injury." Skinner has not played since suffering what appeared to be a hand injury during the Oct. 24 road game against the Minnesota Wild.

"He's checking on it to see if it's progressing in the right direction," Muller said of Skinner's injury. "We're waiting to see what that answer is and where he's at."

Muller initially said he hoped Skinner could return for last week's back-to-back set against Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers. Skinner traveled with the team to New York for Saturday's game.

"It's important to be careful with him," Muller said. "We'll see if there's a different answer to how it's healing or what it is, just to make sure before we give him that green light to go again."

Muller said goalie Anton Khudobin (lower-body injury) did skate Monday on his own and said the session was "OK."

"He's in a stage where it's going to be a slow process of progressing," Muller said.

Goalie Cam Ward, who also has a lower-body injury, has yet to do any skating, Muller said.